Strategy
by ImaginationRevelation
Summary: The Aang Gaang trains to defeat Fire Lord Ozai.


This was supposed to be a fun day. Aang just finished his firebending training with Zuko (Sifu Hotman) and they threw a beach party. Aang built a pretty awesome sand sculpture of Appa, which was destroyed by Sifu Hotman when he was attacking Aang.

Aang had no idea what the heck was going on, but he fought back. He also tried taking some sense into the kid. If Zuko had returned to his old ways, Aang was not going to stand for it. The rest of the group intervened and demanded an explanation from the firebender.

They all wondered if he had turned on them. The reason he gave them for assailing the Avatar shocked them all. It was worse than his suspected treason. Zuko was appalled when he learned that they were going to wait and fight Ozai _after_ the comet comes.

Zuko did not want to tell the gang the bad news, but he had no other choice. How else was he going to convince them that they had to fight the Fire Lord _before_ the comet arrives? He braced himself and told them the bad news: Ozai has plans to burn down the Earth Kingdom using the power gained from Sozin's comet.

He anticipated the reactions from his friends: fear, disbelief, shock. Katara sank to her knees. The rest was shifting uncomfortably in their spots, but Zuko's attention was focused on Aang.

"What am I gonna do?" asks the young Avatar.

Trying to be considerate yet stressing the importance of the issue, Zuko answers, "I know you're scared, and I know you're not ready to save the world, but if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore."

How could Zuko keep something this important away from him, from the one whose job it is to protect and save the whole world? Aang is a little angry. "Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?" He begins to walk away.

Zuko defends himself. "I didn't think I had to. I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait."

Aang puts his head in his hands. "This is bad." He sinks down to his knees. "This is really, really bad."

Katara tries to console the young airbender. "Aang, you don't have to do this alone."

Toph adds, "Yeah, if we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down."

Sokka becomes very excited. He shouts, "All right! Team Avatar is back! Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Fan and sword!"

Aang thinks about this for a second and declares, "Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

Aang is very proud to call these people his "friends." They help him no matter what. They are brave and caring people. They will risk their own lives to save countless people. This is why he admires them and why he is happy to be part of Team Avatar.

Aang is also very relieved that he does not have to do this alone. He knows that he can count on them and he trusts him with his life (or lives since he does reincarnate). He is doubtful of their chances of success, but he tries to be confident and positive. He knows that he has to win. Losing is _not_ an option, neither is surrendering.

Sokka decides that they need to practice ambushing and fighting the Fire Nation soldiers so that Aang can focus on the most important thing: defeating the Fire Lord. "Gather round, Team Avatar," Sokka motions.

He has carved a face on a melon and draped it over a mannequin. Sokka continues, " In order to take out the Fire Lord - or in this case, the Melon Lord - our timing has to be perfect."

He kneels down on the ground and starts drawing lines to show the trainees their positions. He also gives them a description of what they should be doing during the final battle.

"First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offense, and while the Melon Lord is distracted, Aang swoops in ... and BAM! He delivers the final blow."

Toph's name was not mentioned during the plan. She is confused and wants clarification. "Uh ... what about me?"

Sokka has an answer to that. "For now, you're the Melon Lord's forces."

Toph becomes very excited. "So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?"

"Whatever makes the training feel more realistic."

"Sweetness."

Aang has a bad feeling about this. 'Yeah, great plan, Sokka. Give the intense blind girl flaming rocks.'

Aang goes to the place where he is supposed to wait. He witnesses Suki and Sokka running toward the Melon Lord. He watches flaming boulders whizz through the air. One of them almost hits Sokka, who screeches, "Watch it, Toph!"

Toph replies, "I am not Toph. I am Melon Lord!" She laughs evilly and loudly.

Aang hears Sokka shout, "Now, Aang!"

Aang jumps out and is ready to hit Melon Lord. He knows Melon Lord - Ozai - needs to taken down, but something stops him. He does not crush the melon with his glider. He hesitates and backs away. He cannot do this. He cannot. Every life is scared. Killing was not what monks taught him.

Zuko shouts, "What are you waiting for? Take him out!"

Aang is a little shocked. How can Zuko be so calm about the impending death of his father? How can he act like this is no big deal, just like putting on a shirt? Aang shakes his head. "I can't."

Sokka walks up to Aang. He demands an answer. "What's wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now."

Aang gulps. He knows that this would happen. Ozai would not delay; he would kill Aang right then and there, but Aang does not have it in him. He cannot just kill someone, no matter how evil he or she is. "I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself."

"Yeah, that makes so much sense!" comes Sokka's sarcasm. "Why does that matter to you now? You didn't have that problem during the invasion on the Day of Black Sun. What were you going to do then? Declare a thumb war or paper-scissors-rock?"


End file.
